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Location: Park Slope, 75 5th Ave., between Prospect Place and Warren St.

Mimosa Rating:

The scoop: The atmosphere was lively and inviting during brunch. It’s definitely a local hangout.Every inch of the small space was being used. We were lucky to snag a seat at the packed bar. Miriam takes reservations, which I recommend during peak brunch hours. The theme was fitting with the delicious Israeli cuisine. Mosaic lamps hang from the ceiling.

Outside Miriam

The servers were also very friendly. The bartender (maybe owner?) was very informative regarding questions I had about the menu and helped to suggest. I don’t think there is a bad choice here, my mouth was watering over each dish that came out.

Inside dining area

Bottoms up: Miriam offers a full bar and of course coffee, tea, and juices.

The dish was bursting with flavor! The 2 small pastry Burekas (Israel’s most popular snack) were unreal, stuffed with feta and olives, just melted in your mouth. I recommend dipping everything on the plate in the olive oil topped labneh (Greek yogurt with the consistency of cheese) as well as the tahini sauce. The Israeli salad tops it off. I loved each bite. Pitas would be a great side option. I almost forgot about the eggs, which I recommend getting runny instead, however,they were still yummy.

Burekas Puffed Organic Egg Dish

Steak and Eggs Hanger / $14 / steak with two organic eggs (any style)

The steak was very well seasoned and cooked just as I ordered. You can’t beat a $14 steak/egg combo for brunch! Even the eggs had a great flavor. The side of potatoes were cooked on the crisper side and went well with the steak and eggs. The was also a simple salad and 2 slices of bread – overall a ton of wonderful food.

There is really a steak somewhere in there!

Final Bite: This is a delicious Israeli spot in Park Slope near several subway stops. Everything on the brunch menu was under $15 and bursting with flavor. I would really recommend checking Miriam out. I would love to go back!

The scoop: Jane has been around since 2001 and it’s been packed since. It remains a go-to brunch spot. My last visit to the restaurant for brunch was over 5 years ago and nothing much has changed – in a good way! You’ll continue to find a handful of Benedict options as well as other brunch classics. Reservations are a must, just check Open Table for availability.

Outside Jane

The atmosphere is lively and loud, but not so loud that you can’t have conversations. There is a sprawling bar, where you can also eat brunch. Overall the restaurant could be considered on the larger side for the area. You can’t walk down Houston without noticing the packs of patrons outside of Jane waiting to be seated. They have benches outside for you to sit and wait. Our server was attentive and I never felt like we were waiting too long. They also don’t rush you out the door, so you can enjoy your food.

Buzzing during Saturday Brunch

Bloody Mary & Apple Champagne

Bottoms up: Saturday vs. Sunday: Saturday is referred to as Saturday lunch, whereas Sunday is referred to as Sunday brunch. The menus are the exact same, class brunch offerings, lunch options, and small plates for sharing. However, on Sunday your brunch includes a brunch cocktail, which you have the freedom to select from 5 different options. So, because we went on a Saturday, we had to fork over an extra $10 for a cocktail. I recommend going Sunday to get more bang for your buck!Apple Champagne Cocktail /$10 A simple champagne cocktail. They pour an ounce of homemade apple syrup in with champagne. It really tastes like you’ve added apple juice to your champagne, giving it a sweet after taste. It was just ok, but if you need a new twist on your mimosa, give this a try. The Best Bloody Mary /$10 A very generic Bloody Mary. It did not live up to its name, it was just ok. However, Jane adds their own homemade jalapeno vinegar to create a spicy mix. This added a great kick. The server also brought the jar over so we could add more. It didn’t have a ton of garnish or horseradish, which does really help make the bloody an amazing pick-me-up in the morning. Chew on this:

Complementary bread served with butter

Biscuits & Eggs / $17 / poached eggs, sausage gravy, buttermilk biscuits This was a super filling.The dish comes with 3 biscuit halves topped with poached eggs. The creamy sausage gravy was drizzled over the top. You weren’t swimming in the gravy – there was just enough. The entire mixture together created a creamy flavorful taste. I couldn’t get enough of it! If you’re starving and craving running eggs with delicious sauce, this is the perfect dish for you.

Biscuits & Gravy

Steak and Eggs / $21 / mac & cheese croquette, grilled flat-iron, sunny up eggsThe steak was cooked very well and had a delicious flavor. The chimichurri sauce added a tasty touch. The mac & cheese croquette is a large triangle-shaped piece of fried goodness filled with cheesy truffle mac. I wish you could just get this as a side dish! The eggs were just fluffy scrambled eggs that completed the dish, nothing extraordinary to note. This was overall a great choice.

Steak & Eggs

Roasted Shrimp Ranchero / $19 / sunny up eggs, cheddar, black beans, avocado, corn tortillas, chipotle salsaA scrumptious bite of flavor! I think all of the ingredients mixed well together and it was a little bit of a spin on this Tex-Mex dish with shrimp. The shrimp was cooked well.

Roasted Shrimp Ranchero

Egg White Omelette / $18 / sautéed spinach, goat cheese, mixed greensNot the item to order. Hardly any goat cheese and the omelette was sopping in butter, defeating the “health” egg white option. Also, at the end of the day, an omelette should not be priced this high.

Egg White Omelette

The final bite: Jane is an excellent choice for brunch, especially because you can make reservations and can enjoy a free brunch cocktail on Sundays. The prices are on the higher side for brunch, but the food is delicious and the good outweighs the bad. There’s a reason it’s been packed from the day it opened 14 years ago.

The scoop: Looking for good drinks and food? You are in luck at Favela Cubana. We’d like to send a special thank you to Karen for inviting us to check out the brunch scene at Favela.

It was such beautiful day that we decided to sit in the patio located at the front of the restaurant. The outdoor area is pretty large and can accommodate multiple tables.

The hostess Andrea welcomed us to the restaurant and was very sweet and made sure we were well situated and taken care of. Our server was new, but he did a good job providing us with information.

The inside of restaurant is long and narrow. In comparison to the abundance of sunshine outside, the inside of the restaurant looked slightly dark (although you can’t tell in this photo). Congos were set at the bar to serve as stools. A pair of congos were at the entrance of the patio area as well. We found this super unique and fun.

Bottoms up: We suggest taking advantage of the one-hour bottomless special. The cost is $14.99 in addition to the purchase of an entrée or eggs. The restaurant offers six different types of drinks, so you are bound to find one that you enjoy!

Red Sangria

Victoria enjoyed her red sangria. It had the perfect balance of a fruity taste without being overly sweet. The drink was pretty strong too.

Sparkling Mojito

Erica loved the sparkling mojito. It had a great traditional mojito flavor with a sparkling kick. If you enjoy sweet drinks, you will love this.

Bellini

Stephanie had a mango and apricot bellini. She thought she was going to like mango more, but she actually preferred apricot. While both were refreshing and served with what tasted like fresh juice, the apricot had more flavor.

We were served three types of empanadas — chicken, ground beef and corn. We all agreed that the chicken lacked flavor and was pretty dry. The corn empanadas had the best flavor, followed by the ground beef.

It was a unanimous decision to order the guacamole to share. We all really like guac, and we enjoyed Favela’s version. It was blended well — not too chunky, not too mushy — and had good flavor. The servers were happy to give us more chips.

I will order Ropa Vieja at a Spanish restaurant 95 percent of the time, and this Ropa Vieja is worth writing about. I was glad that I was able to substitute the white rice for yellow rice. The meat was extremely flavorful that I did not have to go overboard with the hot sauce. It was a huge serving, and I was able to share some with everybody. I highly recommend this dish, especially if you are hungry.

Like Victoria, I was eyeing the Ropa Vieja, but we wanted to try a variety of dishes, so I went with the steak and eggs instead. The steak was cooked how I requested — medium — and the eggs were scrambled well. I was happy to see that the dish came with hearty sides of both fries and salad. The salad had a very light dressing on top. While this dish was sizable and kept me full, I found the food to be a little cold. Despite that, I’d still recommend this dish.

I craved everything in the dish’s description, but the dish just didn’t deliver. The toast was pretty flat, and despite the ingredients, it just wasn’t flavorful. Thankfully, Favela had great hot sauces to spice it up. The eggs were also overdone and not runny. I would shy away from this dish.

Gelato and Dessert Empanadas

We ended our brunch feast with gelato (or ice cream) and dessert empanadas. The menu stated that it was gelato, but from the taste and the way it melted, it was clearly ice cream. After having savory empanadas to start the meal, we couldn’t resist ordering the dessert empanadas to cap off the meal. The empanadas were crispy on the outside and warm and filled with apples on the inside. They were like mini apple pies. A bite of an empanada together with the ice cream was yummy!

The final bite: Favela Cubana is a unique Cuban fusion restaurant with an outdoor space that can’t be beat on a sunny afternoon. Overall, the space and options for both lunch and brunch will likely bring us back to Favela Cubana.

It’s going to be a nice and warm day, so snag an outdoor seat at Pera Soho. Not only can you sit in the comfy outdoor patio, but you can enjoy a complete brunch meal for only $21.

Sotto 13 is offering a Mother’s Day prix-fixe menu for $39, which includes pizza, brunch items, and unlimited drinks. Sounds great!

Hotel Chantelle has a fantastic rooftop for brunching. Not only are they serving the essential cocktails — mimosas, bellinis, and bloody Marys — for only $3.95, but they also have a Mother’s Day two course prix-fixe menu for $29.92.

Looking for more outdoor dining? Dopo East just recently opened their private garden! The restaurant is serving special Mother’s Day dishes all day long.

The gang wants to send a special thank you to our mothers, Cristina, Debbie, and Paula, for being the best!

The scoop: Corkbuzz is conveniently located around the corner from Union Square, making it an easily accessible destination. Corkbuzz goes beyond your expectations of your typical wine bar — there’s more than just cheese and wine here. They have a fantastic food menu that will impress your palate. They also have hard-to-find wines.

When entering the restaurant, we walked into their lounge and bar area, and in the back there were communal tables and additional high-top tables. For brunch, the atmosphere is great. It’s busy but not too loud or too crowded. You can easily enjoy your conversations.

We chose to have brunch on Marathon Sunday since they were showing the marathon on a large screen in the back area. It made for a nice viewing experience. They did squeeze a little too many of us in the communal table, as I don’t think they were expecting such a good turnout. The staff and servers were pretty friendly.

Chew on this:

Pork Belly Eggs Benedict $15 / With potato hash or salad

You guessed it. The Pork Belly Eggs Benedict is exactly what it sounds like; an eggs Benedict with the ham replaced by delicious pork belly. The pork was tender and shredded easily with each bite. I was surprised that a typical English muffin was used instead of something a little more exotic. The eggs were delicately cooked to perfection. The side of potatoes hash was more representative of diced potatoes, not hash.

I am not sure what makes this “French” omelette as opposed to a regular omelette. While it was good, it was average overall, nothing super amazing. If you typically order omelettes as a safety dish, I would recommend going out of your comfort zone, as Corkbuzz has some great, unique dishes.

Short Rib Hash $15 / Sunny-side-up eggs, scallions, jalapeño aioli

This was definitely one of the more interesting dishes. It was unexpectedly layered and full of flavor from the pork and jalapeno aioli. The bottom layer contained a decent amount of shredded pork. On top of that was a layer of thinly sliced potatoes and two sunny-side-up eggs. The sauce was lightly drizzled over everything. The mixture went so well together, and each bite became more delicious. I would recommend this dish.

Lamb Shashuka $15 / Chickpeas, poached eggs, green harissa

Traditionally an Israeli dish, shashuka is a delicious mixture of simple ingredients packed full of flavor. Corkbuzz did prepare their version a little different. The dish was not served in a skillet/clay pot and the eggs were poached rather than overeasy. But I loved their harissa sauce, which gave the dish a little spice. The lamb was nicely prepared, and there was a decent amount of it. I would also recommend this dish.

The final bite: Corkbuzz Wine Studio shouldn’t be overlooked for brunch. They have a great wine bar atmosphere that translates well during the day. It’s also a great place to catch up with friends because it’s not too loud or crowded. Their menu contains unique brunch dishes and hard-to-find wines. I would like to go back and explore more.

The scoop: Summer exists all year around at Sagaponack! We had a reservation for five after visiting nearby Kleinfeld for a wedding dress fitting for Stephanie’s sister.

The name of the Flatiron restaurant is very apropos as the exterior and interior decor — from the dining area to the bathroom — has a beach theme. Sagaponack is actually the name of a village in Southampton, N.Y. The menu that hangs in the window has starfish stuck on it. Seashells and lanterns are strewn throughout the inside of the restaurant while soothing colors of blue and green surround you. Pictures of the ocean hang on the walls. There was even a small replica sailboat behind our table! The chairs backs and seats are made from wicker. Everything about Sagaponack screams the Hamptons. It’s the perfect spot to get your summer fix during winter and early spring when the temperatures are still chilly!

There is a long bar at the front of the restaurant and a staircase that leads you to the second floor in the middle. The top floor is ideal for private parties as it can accommodate up to 45 guests. There was a baby shower taking place on the second level when we were brunching.

Bottoms up:

East End Sunrise $5.95

When the waiter brought our the East End Sunrise to our table, we all agreed that this drink was very pretty. The colors of the drink appeared separated in the glass; the orange juice on top and raspberry on the bottom. Before we drank, we mixed the two juices, and the raspberry flavor was more prominent.

Bellini $5.95

The bellini was another great drink. The bellini wasn’t as sweet as the East End Sunrise. The slight taste of peach had a good flavor without being too overwhelming.

Chew on this:

Basket of muffins / Complimentary

We received a basket of complimentary mini muffins — corn and banana — and mini scones — chocolate chip — to begin our brunch. The muffins were soft, and the scones were flaky. They were the perfect size! We ate them up pretty quickly. What a nice treat.

Since we were both craving something sweet and salty, we split the French toast and an egg dish. The French toast was served with three slices of bread, which was a perfect portion for each of us. We weren’t overly stuffed, but we felt satisfied. The crust of the bread was a tad crunchy and the middle was cooked as it should be — soft with no sogginess. With a touch of syrup and the mixture of nuts and fresh fruit, this French toast fulfilled our craving. We did notice there was no whipped cream, but the dish was sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Our second dish was the the smoked salmon omelet. The salmon omelet was pretty good and included large pieces of salmon. The potatoes were tasty and had good flavor. They weren’t too greasy which is always a plus. We didn’t know toast came with the omelet. When we asked if we could have wheat bread instead of white, which was what we were served originally, he gave us wheat as well.